


Another office Christmas Party

by zenexit



Series: Winter HalBarry week 2018 [1]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League Action (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gift Exchange, Holidays, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-11 21:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16860994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenexit/pseuds/zenexit
Summary: Day 1: Holiday ---- "Because we're connected"Barry gets Hal for his secret Santa.





	Another office Christmas Party

**Author's Note:**

> This is short and sweet but about where I'm going to try to keep my word count of HalBarry week fics on average!   
> This is based on the Justice League Action Christmas episodes loosely, but I made it a little more gay. 
> 
> I'm tired and it's finals week so I'm behind, sorry about the typos in this.

Day 1: Holiday

_ “Because we’re connected.” _

  
  
  


Oliver wanted so badly to be known for his Christmas parties, but not in the way he was. For the past three Christmases the emerald archer had gathered up the Justice League and all of its vaguely related friends for an end of the year Christmas party. Of course with a secret Santa, as anyone would assume. However, this was a point of contention that was slowly growing in the Justice League pools. 

The part that matters the most in this tale, is how famous Barry was for how horrible his yearly presents were. The first year of secret Santa he had gotten a gas station teddy bear as his gift. When that didn’t go well, he quickly elected to kidnap Batman and drag him to the party to make Oliver happy. 

The year after that hadn't gone much better, Barry forgetting yet again until the day of the party he was expected to bring something as gift. What had resulted due to all the department stores being raided was a mug from his jobs, proudly reading # 1 coffee fan on the side. Dinah didn’t really get it, but she had smiled politely either way. 

Barry was sure for this year, everyone thought and hoped they wouldn’t get him. In reality, no one actually cared about the party that much. Hell, even Barry didn’t care about the party that much. The only reason why he suddenly cared about getting a good gift was because he had pulled Hal this year. Y’know, someone he actually wanted to see smile when he gave him a present. 

As was typical Barry fashion, he had waited until the night before. Eyes pulled by darkened bags from the long shifts at work combined with excess crimes for the Flash to deal with. It was exhausting and overwhelming for any man to deal with and Barry was reaching his limit. 

The absolutely raided aisles of the convenience store stared back at Barry’s blank and tired eyes while he tried running his hand over his arm to help keep himself awake. 

There were a few untouched stuffed animals but they were all either too large to offer to a platonic friend or two small to be a good present. Not that Barry wanted to stay just friends with Hal, because he sure didn’t. But also this wasn’t entirely appropriate to just drop on him, start rumors with the League. 

There were chocolates too, which also seemed a little too romantic of a present. Barry felt a sad tugging in his chest for a moment for everyone who had passed these same presents he had, and wondered why there seemed to be less love this Christmas. 

It was after Barry had pursued the aisles for a few hours he had finally ended up in the express lane with a mildly abused looking football jersey in his hands. It was dirty and probably a little too large for Hal, but Barry had grabbed it once he had seen the last name proudly stretched across the back. Barry couldn’t for the life of him remember what position this guy played or even how good he was, but he had remembered Hal dragging him to a sports bar the other week to watch Coast City’s team play. Hal was beaming then, cheek to cheek, proud every time his team did well. Even when he booed or yelled at the screen, it just seemed fun. Barry thought sports were alright, but watching Hal enjoy them had warmed his thought more than he thought he could. 

“Did you find everything okay?” A cashier with a sincere seeming smile asked Barry.

“Huh--- Oh,” He looked down at the shirt held in his now clammy hands. He hadn’t realized how quickly this line had gone, or how tired he realized he was. “Yes, thank you.”

Barry awkwardly put the jersey on the table and paid for it without looking at the price. There wasn’t a limit per say, just a general rule to try not to pay so much everyone around you looked like an asshole. Like sure Bruce could buy you a castle but it doesn’t mean he should because then suddenly Dinah’s homemade present looked kind of boring and Booster wouldn’t leave you alone all night until you promised him he could record Youtube videos in it. 

Barry shuffled out of the store and into the cool night air, sighing to himself while gripping and ungripping the plastic bag in his hands. There wasn’t much else to do now except wrap it and hope somehow Hal liked his gift. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fireplace softly crackled in the rented house the Justice League’s annual Christmas party was being held in. Oliver was working in keeping out horderves and other appetizers out on the table. Barry knew he had his own section and happily moved through those. He did his best to pace himself, but it was impossible and in his defense totally not his fault.

Everyone was milling casually, trying to create the atmosphere of a friendly Christmas home even if it was impossible not to feel forced when Oliver guilt tripped them here every year as an excuse to drag Bruce out of the house and try to befriend him better.

There wasn’t quite a ‘gift giving’ ceremony. Everyone was free to hand them out as they pleased, as long as everyone got their gift there wouldn’t be a problem. Barry had watched from a distance while Hal smiled awkwardly passing along an easy and cheap gift to Constantine. It looked to Barry like some sort of alcohol and knowing the two he was sure it was. 

Barry fit more snacks in his mouth, foot tapping at a rapid rate. 

Maybe one of the real reasons everything felt so awkward was because of the costumes they all kept on. Barry knew why, but it felt silly at the same time. He knew what Bruce looked like and would have enjoyed him awkwardly accepting a beach themed tee from Arthur with his cowl of. Then Barry and everyone else could see what he was sure was the mortified expression underneath. It was everything he deserved.

Barry shuffled up to Hal later as the evening descended. Gift in hands behind his back. Hal turned towards his old friend, smile appearing without hesitation. Barry felt warm in that moment, his eyes lighting up in response. It didn’t seem so scary now, looking in those eyes, and thinking on how he’d take that present. 


End file.
